


Memory Log

by StarDragonStarFeather



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, prompt list
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-21 11:38:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21074279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarDragonStarFeather/pseuds/StarDragonStarFeather
Summary: A collection of bite-sized XZero oneshots, similar to Memory Bank but filled with really short stuff and only prompt based. Each chapter will be a batch of 10.





	1. 1-10

~~*~~

1\. Getting lost somewhere

The sandstorm rages on as they push forward step by step, each one a struggle against the sand in the air and under their feet. Is this light another beacon they were supposed to get to? Are those really wires that they should follow? Or is that just another rogue mechaniloid? Another bit of scrap poking from under the dunes? There is no way to tell with the merciless wind blowing right in their faces, blinding them with dust.

It feels like hours have passed and they got nowhere. Will they just go in circles forever till their batteries run out, leaving them to rust in this desert grave?

X realises he can see the light of Zero’s gem less and less as time goes on. Is it even possible for this sandstorm to be getting worse? He tightens his grip on Zero’s hand just in case. They won’t get separated. Not again.  
  


~~*~~

2\. Pet names

“Baby-!” X growls.

“Sweetheart-!” Zero hisses.

Gems cling as they butt heads like two stubborn rams, neither giving in to the other. Hands follow a moment after, first pushing, then grappling. Soon a heated argument turns into a heated kiss.  
  


~~*~~  
  
3\. Patching each other up

“If you’re not going to the med bay, then at least be less reckless.”

Zero doesn’t respond, X’s scolding tone being enough to make him keep his mouth shut. X was right after all. Zero had his reasons to not trust Lifesaver, but he really did rely on X’s abilities way too much. He may have helped make the first ever reploids, but it’s been a long time since then, not to mention Zero’s design being unique in many aspects. If he keeps up being reckless like this, he may one day return with wounds X won’t be able to weld back together.

“There.” X put away the tools and passed Zero an E-Tank. “Your self-repair has to do the rest.”

Zero nodded, popping the can open. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

“...Promise?”

“Promise.”  
  


~~*~~

4\. Hospital visits

“You promised.”

That was the first thing Zero heard after his system was back online, waking him up in the very place he was so adamant on avoiding for so long.

The workbench under his back was hard and cold while his chest felt like it was on fire. He managed to crack his eyes open just enough to see a heavy tube and a bundle of wires plugged into his exposed core, running towards the ceiling.

“...I’m so-”

“Shut up! ...Shut up and rest...” X turned away and quickly wiped a tear off of his cheek. It’s been a close call. Way too close.  
  


~~*~~

5\. Scar worship

Reploids did scar in their own way. It was popular for Mavericks and mercenaries to leave visible discolorations of synthskin or gouges in armor in place of their old wounds to make themselves more intimidating.

But X and Zero did have their own scars too. They were always expertly repaired, so expertly that a human wouldn’t notice a thing even if shown exactly where it was. And yet a reploid eye could see all the microscopic imperfections they were covered in head to toe - a testament to the years of combat they’ve been through.

X trails kisses along the line on Zero’s neck, fingers tenderly caressing the one around his abdomen. It’s been so many years, but he still remembers the grief of collecting Zero’s parts in that sick game the X-Hunters forced him to play.

But now he’s here and in one piece again. That’s all that matters.  
  


~~*~~

6\. Forehead touch

Humans can never understand what syncing feels like. You’re in absolute control over the other reploid’s mind while being completely vulnerable with them wielding the same power over you. It’s the most intimate experience a reploid can have and comes with a great degree of trust. Not many reploids ever synched because of that. It’s hard to find someone to trust enough, especially with the virus floating around.

But X has nothing to fear. He is “immune” after all. Or rather his antivirus and firewalls are so vigilant and aggressive that nothing malicious is able to get past them. And he trusts Zero enough to not disable those defences either.

And so they sit in front of each other, leaning forward enough to let their foreheads touch, eyes closed and fingers interlaced. They don’t even talk through the link between their minds, instead basking in each other’s presence, sharing a warm mental embrace so tight they can very well be one whole being instead of two.  
  


~~*~~

7\. A death of someone close

It’s over. Sigma is dead and his base is slowly disappearing into the ocean. And all X can do is sit on a cliff, clutching his- no,  _ Zero’s _ buster arm to his chest. Zero being dead didn’t fully register till now. X has been too focused on going after Sigma, too furious to grieve.

But now it’s over. It’s all over…

And he’s gone.  
  


~~*~~

8\. Sleeping in

Peaceful times brought some luxuries with themselves. Yes, Maverick Hunters were still a military organisation and there was some discipline and strictness involved. But after the end of each major conflict, Signas always made sure that everyone could finally rest properly and stop being on edge all the time.

As such, today there are no alarms, no emergencies, no paperwork, nothing to wake X up. That is up until a thin ray of sunshine falls on his face, making him grunt in annoyance and pull blond hair over his eyes.

Movement pulls Zero out of his own sleep and he stirs, blindly grasping for the warm body of his partner. He feels way too chilly…

“...X…?”

“...Mmm…?”

“...You stole all the cover...”  
  


~~*~~

9\. Buying flowers for the other

Normally people buy their significant other roses, maybe tulips. But in Zero’s hands rest potted forget-me-nots, every flower blue as the sky with it’s own tiny sun in the form of a yellow center, pot green as a meadow and wrapped with a yellow bow.

_ No matter what happens, never forget me _ , reads a little card attached to it.

A few months later X finds himself staring at it blankly, oddly familiar beam saber clutched in his hands.

Who was he supposed to never forget? And why did it hurt so much to not be able to recall?  
  


~~*~~

10\. Watching the other sleep

Zero never looks truly vulnerable. He is always on guard at least a little bit. Always alert, always tense, always ready to fight whatever threat may show up even during downtime when things are safe.

But not now. It’s one of those rare times he’s in deep sleep, not plagued by nightmares.

With a smile, X gently strokes his partner’s cheek, careful not to disturb him. The book he was reading before Zero fell asleep with head on X’s lap was put aside a while ago. X would rather watch Zero for now. Who knows when he’ll look so peaceful again?  
  


~~*~~


	2. 11-20

~~*~~

11\. Teaching each other how to do something

“Hold your elbow like this, keep the angle…” Zero held X’s arm into a position.

Not that X could focus much on learning saber-wielding techniques when he was embraced from behind by a hot blond guy who’s he been crushing on since forever.

“...X? Are you even listening to me?”

“I-I think I’ll keep using a buster…”

~~*~~

12\. In battle, side by side

They stood back to back, buster up and saber ready, surrounded from all sides.

“There’s good fifty of them…” X murmured, eyeing the mechaniloid swarm.

“How unfortunate. I hoped it would be a good workout, not a rookie assignment.” Zero snickered. “Ready when you are, X.”

X’s answer was a noise of a charging buster. The moment the blast went off, saber went into a dance.

~~*~~

13\. Washing something

No matter how much Zero washed his armor, he never felt it was truly clean.

He was a war machine by design and purpose, a deadly and efficient one at that. He could maim and rip other robots with his bare hands if he’d want.

He could be a monster he was intended to be if he’d want.

He did not want that.

But his past and sometimes present never let him forget his purpose nor his sins. His armor could be pristine by anyone else’s standards, but in his eyes it had stains all over.

He looked at his reflection in the metal and scrubbed harder.

~~*~~

14\. Needing each other

Not every escape was successful.

They huddled close together, cords going between them, sharing power directly between their cores. They needed to stay online, needed to keep their signals going so that the Hunters could find them and dig out of this tomb of a destroyed base.

X shuddered. It was cold in here and pitch black. He leaned more on Zero’s body, looking for any warmth he could get, even if Zero was so low on power he generated nearly no heat anymore.

It was becoming painfully obvious they were running on fumes.

But they were still online and together.

~~*~~

15\. Hugging

Another war over at last. Two warriors sat silently by themselves in the corner of the command room, exhausted and damaged. Nobody bothered them, though. They were respectfully left to have a moment to themselves, to share a tight embrace and wordless gratefulness that they both came back alive.

Eventually they picked themselves up and limped towards med bay, arms still embracing one another, holding for support even though they both were not in a condition for that support to be solid.

They only broke off once they had to lay down on the tables for repairs, hand combing through blond hair as a reluctant goodbye.

~~*~~

16\. Ice skating

“So much for ‘The Master of Blades’.” X smiles, doing a small spin around Zero and darting away.

“Screw you!” Blonde hisses pitifully, legs wobbling as he tries to slowly make his way back to the edge of the ice ring. “It was supposed to be way easier!”

X laughs softly, sliding near Zero again and stopping in front of him, X’s hands taking Zero’s own. “Here, let me show you again…”

~~*~~

17\. Geeking out over something

“Tell me this isn’t the coolest thing!”

Zero wasn’t getting it. What was so special about toy mechaniloids? He held zero, heh, fascination for this sort of thing.

What he  _ did _ hold fascination for, however, was the look of sparks in X’s eyes as he oh so carefully painted every detail of tiny parts, rambling about random mechaniloid facts. Once they were painted, he put them together piece by piece with surgical precision to not misplace anything by even a fraction of a millimeter.

“Just look at it! It’s amazing!” The complete Ray Bit model was shoved into Zero’s face. He didn’t mind. It made X happy to show his creations off.

“It sure is impressively detailed. Good job.” Zero took the model and looked it over from every angle. No imperfections, a perfect scaled down replica of the real thing. It even had parts that could light up.

Zero gently set the miniature Ray Bit down on a special glass shelf that X got specifically for those models. It was nearly out of room. X stared at his collection with that certain kind of smile Zero would kill to keep on his face forever.

He’ll have to get X a Bee Blader kit. Hanging that will save some space and will make X the happiest thing in the world. Or he can get X an additional shelf.

X grinned and Zero couldn’t help but grin back.

Both. he’ll get X both. It will be worth it.

~~*~~

18\. Moving in together

Zero stared at two piles of boxes on the floor. One consisted of exactly four medium-sized boxes, the other…  _ There were so much _ .

“How do you have so much stuff, X?”

“How do  _ you _ have so  _ little _ ?”

“Well, have fun unpacking!” Zero flopped on the bed with a smirk. He needs maybe 15 minutes to take care of his own stuff.

“You better help me!”

Zero’s response was a thrown pillow.

~~*~~

19\. Dealing with children

“LENTILS!”

“Dear God, Feffy, NO-!” Too late.

Little hands pulled the lever and lentils spilled over the store floor in a wonderfully catastrophic cascade. Fefnir was delighted. X wanted to weep.

As if it wasn’t enough that Zero had to go look for Phantom cause he disappeared in the mall. Again.

  
  


~~*~~

20\. In formal wear

“This is uncomfortable. And way too restricting of movement. Can’t we go in our armors?”

“For the last time,  _ no _ , Zero. ...That’s not how you put a tie on… Let me...” X sighed and grabbed the red piece of cloth from Zero’s hands, putting it on his neck with a few swift motions. “There.”

God, was Zero hot in a suit. If only he’d quit his whining…

X made him quit it with a forceful kiss. It only made Zero more impatient to finish the yet unstarted meeting with the Federation officials. He did whine a lot less though.

~~*~~


End file.
